Sharp says has not set a deadline for deal with Hon Hai

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp (6753.T) said on Monday it had not set a specific deadline for finalizing a takeover deal with Taiwan’s Foxconn, adding it aimed to do so “as soon as possible”.

An aerial view shows Sharp Corp's headquarters in Osaka, western Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo February 25, 2016. REUTERS/Kyodo

The embattled Japanese display maker issued the statement in response to a weekend report in the Nikkei business daily that it was aiming to seal an agreement with Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (2317.TW), on March 7.

A person familiar with the matter has told Reuters the firms agreed to extend a deadline for takeover talks by 1-2 weeks, after the Taiwanese firm had put the deal on hold to clarify “new material information”.